Hard disk drives are common information storage devices essentially consisting of a series of rotatable disks that are accessed by magnetic reading and writing elements. These data transferring elements, commonly known as transducers, are typically carried by and embedded in a slider body that is held in a close relative position over discrete data tracks formed on a disk to permit a read or write operation to be carried out. In order to properly position the transducer with respect to the disk surface, an air bearing surface (ABS) formed on the slider body experiences a fluid air flow that provides sufficient lift force to “fly” the slider and transducer above the disk data tracks. The high speed rotation of a magnetic disk generates a stream of air flow or wind along its surface in a direction substantially parallel to the tangential velocity of the disk. The air flow cooperates with the ABS of the slider body which enables the slider to fly above the spinning disk. In effect, the suspended slider is physically separated from the disk surface through this self-actuating air bearing. The ABS of a slider is generally configured on the slider surface facing the rotating disk, and greatly influences its ability to fly over the disk under various conditions.
Once the disk stops rotating, the slider comes to rest on the surface of the disk When the rotation of the disk begins again, the air-bearing is formed once again and the slider separates from the disk. This process is typically called contact-start-stop (CSS). In order to reduce friction between the slider and the disk, a very thin layer of lubricant on the order of a few nanometers, is applied onto the surface of the disk. One of the problems with CSS operations, is the effect of starting friction (“stiction”). Stiction is caused by a meniscus of lubricant formed between the slider and the disk that clamps the slider down to the media. In some cases, especially in a humid environment, the slider is held down strong enough that the disk fails to rotate. To correct this problem, pads are introduced onto the surface of the slider to reduce the area of contact between the slider and the disk. The pads are extremely tall to minimize the meniscal problem described above.